Hearing aids have parameters which, when adjusted appropriately, can improve the hearing aid performance for a specific person in specific environments. Such adjustable parameters include, for example, gain, maximum output, and compression ratio (the amount by which louder sounds should be reduced). Control of these parameters via the adjustment of potentiometers was, at one time, considered the industry standard.
Today roughly half the hearing aids sold in the U.S. are made using digital circuitry, and computer-control of the hearing aid's adjustable parameters is the norm. Computer programming of digital hearing aids allows for increased flexibility and precision in setting parameters. Furthermore, the number of parameters that can be adjusted is not constrained by the physical dimensions of the hearing aid. However, many users/dispensers of digital hearing aids do not have the computer access needed to adjust these devices. These users would be better served by potentiometer-controlled digital hearing aids. Currently, the small size of the hearing aid limits the number of potentiometers (and subsequently the number of parameters) to just two or three. There exists a need to increase the number of parameters than can be adjusted by potentiometer, rather than computer, control.